Category: ESPC Publications: Reports

This paper identifies the issues surrounding the treatment of youth in conflict with the law, from the perspective of youth and youth workers at the Youth Restorative Action Project (YRAP). The objectives of treatment are the reintegration of youth within their community, and reducing the re-offence rates. The paper compares the perspectives of the individuals at YRAP to current best practices, and offers recommendations in the treatment of youth in conflict with the law. A brief overview of current best practices revealed that program integrity and a program length of less than six months was correlated with lower rates of re-offence. The practice of Restorative Justice approaches was effective for lowering rates of re-offence, and left both victim and offender participants more satisfied than those that did not participate in such programs. The involvement of youth in the development of personalized treatment was also deemed important. Finally, collaboration between service organizations, especially in the form of Wraparound services, was recommended in the literature.

Disclaimer: This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the Edmonton Social Planning Council, but is based on the work and opinions of the author.

In 2015, Andrew Ha served as the Edmonton Social Planning Council’s Social Justice Intern. Our Social Justice Intern is a volunteer program, which provides students at an Albertan post-secondary institution the opportunity to complete a research project on a local social issue. This initiative is supported by Volunteer Alberta’s Serving Communities Internship Program (SCIP). The following report is the result of his work in this position. For more information about the ESPC’s Social Justice Internship, you can reach us at the following address:

Social Justice Internship
Edmonton Social Planning Council
Suite 37, 9912-106 St. Edmonton, AB T5K 1C5
Phone: 780-423-2031
www.edmontonsocialplanning.ca

ESPC Documents/RESEARCH UPDATES AND REVIEWS/Issues in the Treatment of Youth in Conflict at the Youth Restorative Action Project.pdf

For many years, the City of Edmonton has experienced strong population and employment growth, significantly above the national average. Many have praised the city for its high standard of living, skilled population and plentiful opportunities. But what is becoming increasingly clear is that all citizens have not shared in this optimistic outlook. The most recent available data finds that one in eight Edmontonians live in poverty. One in five children live in a poor family.

This report attempts to calculate what it actually costs to live a basic or modest life. The calculation is based on a framework developed by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA). Since it was created, the framework has been used by cities across Canada to calculate each city’s living wage.

We have calculated Edmonton’s living wage to be $17.36 per hour. This hourly wage is determined by using the CCPA framework that utilizes a common household structure in order to enable comparisons between municipalities.

Edmonton’s living wage, like other cities’ living wages, is based on the income, expenses and government income transfers of a family of four. This family lives in a rented three-bedroom apartment. They have two children, one aged three and the other aged seven. One parent drives the family car to work while the other takes public transit. For the purposes of this calculation, both parents work 35 hours a week and earn $17.36 per hour to pay for their food, shelter, utilities, clothing, transportation, child care, school fees, post-secondary tuition and more. This family’s available income, including government income transfers, is $68,261.32.

It is important to also note what this calculation does not take into account: common expenses such as debt payments, savings for retirement, vacation, or savings for the children’s post-secondary education.

Once the family’s expenses have been added up, this report looks at the income side of the family’s balance sheet, including both employment income and a wide range of government transfers and supports such as child care benefits.

So, now that we have a living wage calculation for Edmonton, what do we do with it? This living wage calculation can serve as a guide to any employer in the public, private or not-for-profit sector that chooses to become a living wage employer. This living wage provides a current and realistic picture of what it actually costs for a family of four to maintain a modest standard of living in Edmonton.

F. SOCIAL ISSUES/F.04 POVERTY/0_espc_living_wage_final_20150630.pdf

While most Edmontonians have good jobs and adequate incomes, a new report on poverty in Edmonton shows that one in eight Edmontonians live in poverty and one in five children live in a poor family. A Profile of Poverty in Edmonton gathers the latest federal, provincial and municipal data on income, employment, poverty by family size, housing, homelessness and food bank use.

ESPC Documents/PUBLICATIONS/A.06.C RESEARCH UPDATES/Poverty_Profile_Jan21_FINAL.pdf

Leger was contracted by the Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF) to conduct a survey with Edmontonians regarding various aspects of life in Edmonton. 401 interviews were conducted on June 17-18, 2014 on the internet via secured access to the online questionnaire.

ESPC Documents/VITAL SIGNS/Survey_Edmontonians_Leger_Report_2014.pdf

Members of the InterCity Forum on Social Policy (ICFSP) were concerned about the elimination of the STEP and its impact on municipalities. ICFSP members decided to develop and distribute a survey to members and key contacts within their communities to gauge the scope of this impact.

ESPC Documents/PUBLICATIONS/STEP Elimination Full Doc.pdf